Building element



Uct. 2'7, 1936. P. W. TURNER BUILDING ELEMENT Filed Feb. 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Atomey Patented a. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention appertains to new and useful improvements in building elements and more particularly to an element for use in the construction of various coverings for roofs, side walls, etc.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a building element provided with means so that when these elements are used to construct the roof or siding they are interlocked in such a manner that they form a unitary wall structure which does not depend upon any definite placement of studding, rafters or other retaining members.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a building element wherein nails or other driven elements employed for securing the plates in position are adequately covered by the overlapping relation of the plates with. respect to one another.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a top plan view of four of the building elements, in interlocking relation.

Figure 2 represents an enlarged cross-sectional view of the assembly taken substantially on line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a perspective view of one of the building elements shown with spacing strips dotted which are employed in shipping the building elements.

Figure 4 represents a top plan view of an assembly of a building element with elements of different lengths employed.

Figure 5 represents an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken substantially on line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 represents a fragmentary top plan view of building elements consistent with the present invention of corrugated construction.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that the building element consists of a plate 5 having a front side and a back side, although these sides are uniform and not distinguishable.

The plates 5 can be of square shape, rectangular shape, can be of elongated construction as well as of short extent, the latter example being well illustrated in Fig. 4.

Each longitudinal edge portion is provided with a laterally and backwardly bent tongue portion 6, these tongue portions being disposed on opposite sides of the plate 5 and each extending from one end of the plate 5 to terminate a substantial dis tance inwardly of the opposite end of the plate,

and when these building elements are to be shipped in stacks and perhaps in boxes, spacing strips 1 are inserted between the plates 5 and the tongues 6 so as to keep the tongues substantially spaced from the plates 5 so that'there will be no difiiculty in interlocking the plates when being used on a job.

Figure 6 shows a slightly modified form of the invention wherein the plate 5' is of the corrugated type, yet the tongues 6' are still employed and are maintained spaced from the plates 5' proper by suitable strips (not shown) while the plates 5' are being shipped. These strips are almost essential in shipping the corrugated type to prevent the corrugations from being crushed.

By glancing at Figure 1, it can be seen that the plates 5 will be denoted by reference characters A, B, C and D. By inspecting Figure 3, it can be seen that the upper tongue 6 of the plate C is interlocked with the back tongue 6 of the plate A, while the end portion of the plate B from which the tongue 6 starts overlaps the unobstructed portion 3 of the plate A and abuts the forward tongue 6. While the building element D has its upper tongue 6 engaging with the rear tongue of the plate B, the end portion thereof opposite from the unobstructed end portion ti overlaps the unobstructed end portion of the plate B.

It can therefore be seen that with a nail'driven through the upper right hand corner of the plate 0, the nail hole made thereby will be protected by five plies of metal outwardly thereof. In

other words, the upper corners of the free end portions 8 of the plates are to receive the securing elements and the openings made in these end portions of the plates are thoroughly protected by all of these plies against the admission of moisture.

It can be seen in Figure 4, that short sections .8 can be employed along with the longer sections which of course extend or decrease the length of the rows.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A structure covering comprising a plurality of ,plates each provided with a backwardly bent tongue at one edge and a forwardly bent tongue at its opposite edge, each of said plates being provided with an unobstructed extension, said plates being disposed in rows, the end portions of the plates at which the tongues are located overlapping the unobstructed ends of succeeding plates and terminate in flush relation with respect to each other, while the tongues of the plates of one row interlock with the tongues of adjacent rows, said plates and tongues being of corrugated construction.

PERRY W. TURNER. 

